Loom-shuttle.



PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

C. E. SAGKETT. LOOM SHUTTLE.

APPLIOATION rum) APR. 6, 1903.

2 BHEBTSSHBET 1.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOI? WITNESSES y Q I No. 758,783. PATBNTED MAY 3, 1904. O. E. SAGKETT.

LOOM SHUTTLE.

APPLIOATION mm) APR. 6. 1903. no MODEL, 2 sums-suma.

fi agg lgmg ,2 gglgiu 1w; Y raw/: R 5; A 7: Ill/AVA 19 9 is co. wuvoumm wAsumowu u c llNiTED STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. SACKET", OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOlVl-SHUTTLE.

SPECIFICATION fOl'ming part Of Letters Patent NO. 758,783, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed April 6, 1903- Serial No. 151,223. (No model.)

To 11/ who/2t 1'15 may concern:

Be it known that 1, Cinemas E. SACKET'I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Float-Detecting Shuttles, of which the following is a specification.

In the art of weaving as now practiced on the modern loom the operator may have several looms to attend to. Unless he is watching the weave on each machine every moment a defect may occur in the web and the loom run on until he sees the defect and brings the loom to a stop. hluch time is then lost in remedying or picking out the defect or in loss of cloth. Looms are generally arranged so that whenever a shuttle-thread breaks the loom comes automatically to a stop; but defective weaving may go on without causing the slmttle-thrcad to break and bad work result until it is noticed.

The object of my invention is to obviate this loss by automaticallycausing the shuttlethread to break and stop the loom whenever a defect in the weave is impending and in connection therewith to provide means for automatically resetting the weft-thread-parting device after each parting has taken place; also, to provide means for imparting tension to the weft-thread when desired; also, to provid e means for detecting knots or excrescences in the weft-thread and cause them by their own movement to automatically part the weftthread and stop the loom; also, to provide novel means for the lead, control, and protection of the weft-thread in its various movements.

Aside from an imperfect weft-thread the principal cause of defects in the weaving of cotton cloth arise from the union in the warpharness of two or more warp-threads in passing each other, thus forming a float in the warp-shed obstructing the shuttle-path and which if not remedied not only makes an imperfect web, but is liable to cause the shuttle to break through the warp-shed and do further damage. I am aware that various forms of mechanism to stop this evil have been devised and that they all rely on the float itself to actuate a weft-thread-parting device, and

thus stop the loom. Primarily I use the same means, but apply it in a novel manner, possessing all the advantages mentioned as the object of this invention. 1 attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a complete plan view. Fig. 2 is an outline plan view, the protecting guideplate removed to show the weft-parting mechanism. Fig. 3 is a side view on the threadexit side. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the shuttle-eye on the line of the longitudinal spring. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through line A of Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a crosssection through line B of Fig. 9. Fig. 7 is a cross-section through line C of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a partial plan view, the covering-plate removed, except its lower guiding part, which is shown in section, the movable jaw being set for tension and to intercept excrescences, as a. Fig. 9 is a similar plan view, the movable jaw being shown set to give free passage to an irregular weft-thread for common goods, such as ordinary print-cloth, without tension. In both Figs. 8 and 9 the weft-parting device is subject at the same time to the action of any float in the warp-shed.

In the several views similar characters of reference refer to similar parts.

The shuttle 1 is substantially of the kind in general use, consisting of a wood body tapered at both ends with metal points and having an open central bobbinspacc, a hinged spindle carrying the bobbin 2, and the usual shuttleeye 3, which communicates through the passage 4 with the exit-hole 5 in the side of the shuttle.

Usually the bobbin-thread 6 is led through a slot in the wood of the shuttle to the eye; but in my device that wood is cut away to give place for the weft-parting mechanism, which consists of a bedplatc T, supporting on one side of it a fixed jaw 8, sloping longitudinally and having a broad vertical face to cover the rise and fall of the weft-thread as it unwinds around the end of the bobbin-spool. This fixed jaw may be fastened to the bed-plate, but is preferablymade of one piece with it and rises at right angles from it. The bed-plate is screwed to the shuttle-body by the screws room for a nut or collar 15, securing the end the shuttle, to which they are screwed.

of this spring permanently in position. The spring is bent in the form of the convex section of an ellipse and rises from the pivothole of the movable jaw above the body of the shuttle and drops at its other end into a recess 16 below the face of the shuttle, where it is looped around and secured by one or more adjusting-screws 17. The bed-plate 7 is recessed at 18 (see Figs. 2, 6, 7 to receive the lower portion of a guide-plate 19, having arched covering-wings 20, which rise above the jaws and bear against the wood sides of The guide-plate is slotted to a depth just sufficient to prevent the weft-thread from ever getting under the movable jaw. The guide-slot is rounded at its entrance, permitting the free run of the weft-thread from the bobbin, and opens at top in easy upward curves for rapid change of bobbin and threading of the shuttleeye. This guide-plate performs very important functions, as will appear hereinafter.

It is evident from the drawings and description that the movable jaw 10 is actuated to jam and part the weft-thread by the elongation of the elliptical spring 13 and that this could only be brought about by making one end of the spring fast and allowing the other end to move forward upon a supporting-surface in the same plane when pressure is applied along the apex of the ellipse. This is just the action a float will produce upon it in the passage of the shuttle through the warp-shed. As the shuttle moves so fast it cannot be seen, it is obvious that float contact by threads representing the fiftieth part of an inch in width with a lever point or spring having a short apex is so instantaneously released that if there be any lost motion in the parts no result will follow. To obviate this tendency, besides eliminating lost motion, I make the apex of the ellipse as long as the shuttle will bear. It is also obvious that one end of the elongating spring being fast and the other *positively and permanently rotatably piv. oted in the movable jaw when the apex-pressure is released by the float passing over it the recoil of the spring will open the movable jaw, thus automatically resetting it for reaction. Long wire springs have been used to trip weft-parting devices before; but in all cases they have had a fast end and a free end.

Their action has been vertical at the free end, operating the weft-parting device, in which said free end is loosely inserted by a downward movement in which the spring must have free play and in which there is necessarily so much lost motion that the short quick contact and release between the float and the spring render them liable to be inoperative. In no case has the spring had elongating properties or a longitudinal thrust movement in the direction of the shuttle length or a backward recoil automatically resetting the weftparting device.

In this invention the novel feature is introduced of dispensing with any pressure from the warp-float to break the weft-thread or any attempt to deflect it from its path. This is accomplished, first, by pivoting the movable jaw 10 in eccentric relation to the fixed jaw 8; secondly, by pivoting the elongating spring in the movable jaw between its eccentric pivot and the fixed-jaw face, and, thirdly, by guiding and holding the thread in line with the shuttle-eye by a guide-plate independent of the friction-surfaces of the jaw. It follows that all the elliptical spring has to do when a fioat lightly drags across its apex is to push the movable jaw, which is small and light, to-

ward the swiftly-running weft-thread. As soon as the slightest contact is made against the fixed jaw the weftthread will pick up the movable jaw and by its own drawing power tighten the converging faces to a jaw without any help from the spring or float. In fact, the weft-thread will pull the spring with it independent of the float until parting takes place and the loom stops, when its recoil immediately reopens the jaws. This action allows an elliptical spring of the most sensitive nature to be used. Again, this construction admits of another important feature.

It is evident that the movable jaw can be set, as in Fig. 8, to just allow free passage to a weft-thread of uniform gage. For good cloth it is important that knots, woody fibers, or excrescences in the weft-thread should be eliminated. It is equally evident that when this device is set asin Fig. 8 and an excrescence in the weft-thread, as shown at m, is coming along when it reaches the movable jaw it will pick it up, stretch the spring itself, jam the faces, and stop the loom entirely independent of any action from the warp-shed.

In Fig. 9 I show the device set with a wideopen jaw for common print-cloth or to pass a poorly-prepared weft-thread. In thiscase action will only result by pressure from a warpfloat. In any case the movement required to create a jam and stop the loom by this invention is almost infinitesimal, as it is evident the jaws need only to be set apart a little more than the thickness of a thread moving in a straight line, and by the only two moving parts being closely pivoted together lost motion is eliminated, and the depression required by the warp-float to stop the loom is very small. This is a very essential feature, as the shuttle-passage does not admit of a high elliptical spring without danger of its encountering the selvage edge or the regular warp-shed threads.

slightly on the weft-thread to exert an even elastic tension upon it, which is desirable in some grades of weaving. For each and all of these operations the device admits of a perfect adjustment. It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the shuttle-eye may be screwed from side to side in its tube, a device in common use. If tension is desired, the shuttle-eye is screwed enough away from the fixed-jaw face to give the weft-thread a bearing against the movable-jaw face, where it will run smoothly unless a float advances the jaw to contact with the fixed jaw. If no tension is desired, the shuttle-eye is set as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, which, with the help of the guide-plate 19, guides the weft-thread against the face of the fixed jaw, leaving the movable jaw free from any strain or wear and ready to act on the least pressure from a float. This is the normal position and main use of the device. here the shuttle-eye is fixed, these conditions can be obtained by moving the guide-slot to right or left, for which space is left in its recess. The elliptical spring 13 is also made adjustable at its fast end by a long loop secured in a recess by double adjusting-screws sunk below float contact. The longitudinal adjustment of the elongating spring is a very necessary feature to this device, as it regulates all the movements of the movable jaw and is believed to be novel to this invention, as there has been heretofore no occasion for longitudinal adjustment of depression-springs, all being made longitudinally fast at their fast ends.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device consisting of a fixed anda movable jaw havingcorresponding faces, a bow-spring having a thrust and recoil movement actuating the movable jaw, one end of said spring being made adjustably fast to the shuttle-body, the other end having a closely-fitting pivotal connection with the movable jaw, operating it in a given plane to contact with the fixed jaw which is solidly attached to the shuttle-body, substantially as described and shown.

In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device comprising a fixed jaw, a pivoted movable jaw, and a bowed spring extending above the shuttle-l ody, said spring being made fast at one end of the shuttle, pivoted in the movl able aw at its other end, and having a thrust and recoil movement in the longitudinal direction of the shuttle-body rotating the movable jaw upon its pivot substantially as described and shown.

3. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body, of a weft-parting Another feature of this invention is that the movable jaw maybe set to bear device comprising a fixed jaw, a pivoted movable jaw, and a bowed spring elongated by the pressure of a float to rotate the movable jaw upon its pivot, substantially as described and shown.

a. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, comprising a fixed jaw and a movable jaw having a common false-plate, said jaws having corresponding converging faces rising at right angles from said base-plate, the movable jaw being pivoted to the base-plate in eccentric relation to the fixed jaw, and a bowed spring rotating said movable jaw upon its pivot by the pressure of the float upon its apex, substantially as described and shown.

5. .In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, comprising a fixed jaw, and a movable jaw having corresponding faces, said movable jaw being provided with a spring having a thrust and recoil movement pivot-ed in it, substantially as described and shown.

6. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device comprising a fixed jaw and a movable jaw having corresponding faces, and a spring having a thrust and recoil movement pivoted in the movable jaw between its eccentric pivot and the fixed-jaw face substantially as described and shown.

7. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw, and a spring having a thrust and recoil movement pivoted to the movable jaw at one end, and adjustably connected to the shuttle-body at the other end, thereby regulating the degree of contact of the jaw-faces, substantially as described and shown.

8. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, consisting of a rotatable pivoted jaw, a fixed jaw with which the pivoted jaw contacts, and a spring having a thrust and recoil movement, pivoted in said movable jaw in such way that there is no lost motion when acting and reacting in unison, substantially as described and shown.

9. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttlebody of a weftparting device comprising a fixed jaw, a movable jaw and a spring actuating the same, of a guideplate having an open slot through which the weft-thread passes, said guide-plate being made adjustable to hold the thread in contact with either jaw-face, and having upwardlycurved wings covering the movable parts to prevent entanglement of the weft-threadsubstantially as described and shown.

10. In afloat-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, consisting of a pair of converging jaws and a direct-acting spring havinga thrust movement closing said jaws, and a recoil movement, automatically reopening said jaws, substantially as described and shown.

11. In a loom-shuttle, the combination with the shuttle-body of a fixed jaw, amovable jaw pivoted in converging relation thereto, and an adjustable spring pivoted in said movable jaw, said spring having an elastic thrust and recoil movement adapted to press the movable jaw against the weft-thread thereby exerting an elastic tension upon said thread, substantially as described and shown.

12. In afloat-detecting shuttle, the combination with the shuttle-body of a weft-parting device, consisting of a pair of converging jaws and an adjustable spring having a thrust and recoil movement, said spring being pivoted at one end in one of the said jaws, and formed at its other end into a sliding loop, a

recess in the shuttle-body into whichsaid loop slides, and the adjusting fastening; screws sunk below the face of the shuttle body, substantially as described and shown.

13. In a float-detecting shuttle the combination with the shuttle-body of a tension device consisting of a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw having corresponding converging faces, and an adjustable spring having a thrust and recoil movement pivoted in said movable jaw, and a convex section rising above the body of the shuttle, the said spring while exerting tension upon the weft-thread being also subject to the action of a float in the warp-shed to part said weft-thread, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. E. SACKETT.

Witnesses:

THOMAS D. TORNEY, BRONSON S. BUN. 

